"COPENHAGEN -- Legislators from 16 of the world's major economies and most major political parties have agreed on key guiding principles to enact climate change legislation in their home countries that will drive the move to a global low carbon economy. Meeting this weekend, the lawmakers agreed to act right now in their own legislative bodies, even before the key UN climate deal in Copenhagen, now just six weeks away.

The principles -- covering building and appliance standards, renewable energy, vehicle fuel and efficiency standards, as well as forestry -- were proposed by U.S. Congressman Edward Markey and Chinese Congressman Chairman Wang Guangtao.

They were agreed by 100 legislators during the International's Copenhagen Legislator's Forum held by the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment, GLOBE.